Part of the enjoyment in visiting new courses is in the overall experience. While I love golf architecture, I also enjoy travel and the opportunity to see and experience different things. A visit to Sagebrush is like being in a different country.
Sagebrush is located in the Nicola Valley, about 180 miles northeast of Vancouver. The nearest town of any size is Merritt, population of around 6,000 & “The Country Music Capital of Canada.” Rather than staying in the city, we opted for accomodations 15 miles away & adjacent to Sagebrush in Quilchena.
Quilchena Ranch is located on Nicola Lake and includes a hotel, general store, RV park, and 9 hole golf course along with a 70,000 acre cattle ranch. That may sound big, but neighboring Douglas Lake Cattle Ranch (once owned by Bernie Ebbers) is more than a half-million acres!
The Quilchena hotel dates back to 1908 and offers a variety of adjacent facilities.
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While we drove out there, the braver golfer might just fly in. That's the runway in the second photo.
I didn’t get a chance to check out the hotel’s nine hole course. I’m suggesting it be called the Marmot Ranch (even though I didn’t see any marmots around there). You can see some of Sagebrush up on the hill behind. Note the green irrigation system.
They are building a new clubhouse.
From Sagebrush looking down.
The entrance to Sagebrush is just up the road.
The only yardages you will see on the course.
A tee marker.
I really liked the tee signs with sage-colored paint.
The logo looks great on the bright red flags.
There are fences and gates through part of the course. The gates can be closed off for moving cattle though.
Matt Bosela has already posted photos of The Hideout, so I’ll only post a couple. Note the stylish pump house on the other side of the pond.
From the pump house looking back.
Always nice when you can look up and see an eagle soaring overhead.
Not the view of sagebrush that you want!
What a place!
